The present invention relates generally to machines for gathering and collecting particles disposed on a ground surface or the like, and more specifically to such a machine which finds particular application in gathering turf plugs or core particles resulting from aeration of a turf surface.
Machines operative to traverse a ground surface or the like for gathering and collecting particles or articles disposed on the ground and conveying the articles to a receptacle for further disposal are generally known. Such machines frequently employ an upwardly inclined conveyor which is mounted on a transport vehicle and has a lower forward end cooperative with gathering blades or the like to guide particles disposed on the ground surface to the receiving end of the conveyor which conveys the particles to a receiving receptacle. Various forms of such machines find application in harvesting agricultural products, as maintenance machines for collecting and removing debris from the floor of an industrial facility or from streets and the like, and in special use applications such as in retrieving golf balls and the like when scattered on a ground surface such as at a practice range. A desirable feature of such machines, and particularly those employed to traverse a turf surface for gathering and collecting particles therefrom, is that the conveyor and associated gathering arms or blades be capable of maintaining optimum ground orientation over uneven or varying ground contours.